Heaven...I'm in...
for Knots in the String...
Winter is our time for a reprieve, even if it is the busiest time on the farm with crutching, shearing, scanning, foot-trimming, feeding out. This is when my other half feels his age and is glad a lot of the work is taken over for him.
The air is clear, the breezes cold, gardens everywhere have form and structure. Frosted cobwebs hang on fences and drape over seedheads like the remains of some fey midnight dance and the countryside seems to bide its time. Like us really – biding our time till spring when we begin to unfold.
The truth is that I believe winter gives us time to breathe, time to take stock and plan – even if my husband is working flat out. I suspect that even he would agree that most of the planning of our lives happens in winter.
I’d never thought of winter like that before. It’s always been a time of year I tolerated, to get through as best as possible till summer returned. But with age comes wisdom and now I see a time of beauty, a time to regird, to make sure we don’t waste a second of what we have left.
As I write this Louis Armstrong and Ella Fitzgerald are Dancing Cheek to Cheek and the song begins ‘Heaven, I’m in heaven…’ which is right where I am this instant.
My husband and I are away for 3 days at stunning Raffah House in one of the most colonial of colonial towns of Tasmania.
We often visit Oatlands, normally as a day trip. It has things we like – a lake, a vibrant atmosphere and it’s lined with magnificent sandstone Georgian architecture. It reeks of history which is my forte. We picnic and walk the dog and a good day is had.
But I wanted to spoil my husband this month, so I booked us into Raffah for 3 days. Please click on the above link – it’s superlative!
Every room takes my breath away and I wonder how to achieve the same thing in our quaint coastal cottage. Given that we have downsized, minimalized and simplified, it’s a highly doubtful proposition.
But that’s life, isn’t it?
Simplify – make space, both mental and temporal? Don’t keep anything that doesn’t give joy? De-clutter? We have tried to allow space for stories to sing because each little corner of our cottage has something that means something, that whispers its histories to us. Perhaps to us alone of course, but in its own way, our cottage, our home, can make us feel as if we’re in heaven too…
Bookshelves:
On Kindle – powering through Nancy Bilyeau’s Fugitive Colours - about the Huguenot silk weavers and designers of London, of Joshua Reynolds, William Hogarth, Thomas Gainsborough and more. Of the jealousies and dishonesties of great men. A good read.
Via audio, I finished King by Ben Kane. It was truly a 5 star hist.fict. Highly recommended.
Nothing in print beyond Australian Country Style and my old recipe book.
Watching:
The Village on Britbox. My husband has given up because of the despair of this WWI saga. I will see it through. But it’s exhausting and I find I need to be busy stitching to give me requisite joy.
Great Canal Journeys on Britbox with Prunella Scales and Timothy West. Beautiful. We will be sad when this is finished.
Enemy Lines on Netflix - a film loosely based on the Allied rescue of a Polish atomic scientist from the Nazis. We noticed costume issues immediately. Weapons seemed wrong. There were abundant anachronistic cliches, let alone the hair-do of the lead (American) actor. It could have been a good film but it wasn’t. XYZ-grade.
Boredom Busters:
Holidaying. To the north of the island and I bearded a fear issue (see Instagram)
We found a French enamelled house number for the cottage, we bought handmade leather slippers for my husband and educational toys for our grandson. We visited the highland lakes.
We really examined the beautiful Oatlands architecture, the heritage skills of stonework and woodwork and structural garden design. Food for thought…
I’d normally add a list of Substack Follows right now, but this week it’s just one. Ramona Grigg on Writer Everlasting about finding her voice. I find her philosophical writings deep and thought provoking. See what you think…
And one final thing before I sign off. Just seven days ago, Tobias (the audio) was rating on a saturated Audible.com market with the likes of Cornwell. Dear Tobias clocked in at #894.
For me, that was a dream come true. At best I thought we might make the multi-100’s of thousands if we were lucky. As you can see, it also got its first review.
Thus it’s been a beautiful week. One to give thanks for. Good experiences, meeting delightful folk, perhaps making new friends.
Food for the mind and soul as much as for our bellies.
I wonder what next week shall bring.
Surely a little bit of heaven here and there?
As I sit here in summer I am grateful for your words, for the reminder that I need not be sad (already) at the thought of summer ending, but instead remember the peaceful time of winter where plans and dreams take shape. It makes my heart swell at the thought of you watching Great Canal Journeys, as I sit here on the canal.